Eberron: Dreaming of Riches

Of how the characters are caught in a crossfire between the Aurum and the Quori

6.6.2013: The Beginning

6

JUN/13

The characters began their adventure on 20nd of Aryth. Having rested on their turn in the sleeper cart, they sat in their cabin. Destir and Dawkens were immersed in their respective books, Belenthidas was polishing his gear and Theo was watching them. The silence was broken by the waiter and his cart, from whom Belenthidas, Theo and Destir managed to extort some water and rations.

Soon, the attack began. Dawkens’s friend warned the characters about it and went to intercept them. In two time glasses they arrived at the scene. Belenthidas and Theo had heard the one on the roof but they were too late in escaping. The lights were taken out and Belenthidas’s sword was the only thing illuminating the cart. Three dwarves hiding behind scarves and wide-rimmed hats assaulted the cart from one side while one attacked from the other. When Dawkens was trying to break through, he was stopped on his tracks by a fountainhead bolt. The rest of the assailants fired their fountainheads in the ceiling above the characters, showering them and a few civilians in a cabin Theo had tried to hide in with acid.

Dawkens managed to kill the lone attacker but he could not advance because Kellark exposed himself. He had taken a woman from his cabin as hostage and used Shield Self on her. If he were damaged, the woman would die first. Belenthidas was mowing his way through on the other side of the cart with Destir trying to provide psychic support to little prevail. One of the assailants was wounded badly and had to retire from the battle, after which Destir managed to melt the brains of the last assailant.

Theo, having hidden when the fountainheads were fired, sneaked behind Kellark and managed to save the woman from him. Dawkens tried to call Kellark’s bluff that Theo’s intervention changed nothing (it was no bluff, though) but missed him. Destir managed to suggest that Kellark surrender and the jeweler had no objections since he was left alone. However, Ryle Galt had used the delay to detach the carts from the engine. He was eventually contacted by Belenthidas using Kellark’s ring but the paladins did not recognize each other. Belenthidas merely learned that someone from Thrane bearing the symbol of the Silver Flame was allied with the enemy.

The party realized the situation they were in and checked if anything of use could be found in the cargo cart. They packed a few days worth of rations and went to check the dysfunctional engine but Theo had left them behind to incite an angry mob ready to lynch Kellark for causing them to be left for dead. Belenthidas eventually managed to have a Karrnathi noble promise that he would protect Kellark if he were left by the train’s remains but the rest of the mob were left unchecked.

They parted with a vast majority of the survivors (340) choosing to follow them. Rations were divided according to the number of people and everything but two coaches of the train was pillaged for firewood and cloth. Theo chose to scout ahead but nothing of note was encountered during the beginning of their travel, only a few hours long since not one opted to travel by night.

With Theo gone (he had opted to rest by himself, keeping the lead he had built), Dawkens trusted the party enough to show them what he was guarding. He revealed the riddle box but admitted to not knowing what was inside it. He also revealed that he was to take it to the Twelve in Korth and translated the riddle for Belenthidas and Destir.